The religious expert in American courts

This article examines how academic experts contribute to the discussion of court cases concerning the defense of religious freedom in the US Based on a study of relevant cases in which the scope of the first amendment has been debated, and relying on her own experience as an expert in some of these court cases, the author addresses the question of who is legitimate to define what counts or not as religious. She also studies the ambivalent relation of the American public to academic expertise. While some consider the role of experts as necessary to the formation of fair decisions, others view it as an obstacle to the expression of people's will.